Suicides among seafarers: from antiquity legends to contemporary context

Rationale. In recent years, the issue of suicides among merchant seafarers has been raised in various sources with increasing frequency. It is necessary to analyze this problem from the point of view of possible reasons for the raise of the number of cases. It is also important to develop rational approaches to prevention, taking into account the peculiarities of labor of this continent. Methodology. A descriptive review based on a search of both scientific and online (“grey”) sources, taking into account all possible aspects of the problem - suicidological, medical, occupational, hygienic, economic and legal. Results. There is a lack of objective data in this area, all studies based on registering mortality and its causes have been performed in the second half of the last century. These sources are outdated and also provide contradictory information; in some cases the indices among seafarers are significantly lower than among working men in the general population, but sometimes at the same level. Some academic bodies have given cautious estimates in recent years indicating an increase in mortality among merchant seafarers. There is considerable uncertainty in the qualification of what has happened, so far as often people simply disappear from the ship. At the same time, contemporary online sources belonging to trade unions, maritime businesses or public organizations paint a rather grave picture, claiming a multiple increase in recent years. Suicides on board are directly related to increased stress levels and psycho-emotional strain in the workplace, especially during pandemic. Many sources attribute the unfavorable dynamics to the global changes that have taken place in the maritime business in recent decades, the disappearance of national shipping companies, and the policies of large shipping companies that minimize their costs by hiring cheaper labor and intensifying workload in the industry. Numerous studies indicate that the leading problem nowadays is the deterioration of seafarers' mental health, the spread of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts in small international multilingual crews, with high probability of conflicts and bullying. One of the probable causes may be recruiting of young personnel with existing mental health problems, internet addiction and low stress tolerance. Conclusion. Suicides among seafarers appear to be on an upward trend. The active position of many professional structures influences shipping companies and stimulates a variety of prevention measures based mainly on online technologies, mobile apps, surveys and dissemination of positive recommendations to promote seafarers' mental health. It would be advisable to strengthen educational approaches for future shipmasters in specialized higher education institutions and to intensify training in the field of mental health of doctors of medical commissions for shipboard personnel selection. Keywords: suicidal behavior, seafarers, mental health, stress, modernity